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Spotlight on makeup artist Linda Cantello

Hear makeup artist Linda Cantello explain the creative process behind perfecting the One Night Only beauty look and see the Armani Mobile Lab in action.

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One Night Only NYC: Celebrity Interviews - Part II

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November 1 / 2013

See the what our celebrity guests had the say about the event.

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One Night Only NYC: Celebrity Interviews - Part I

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November 1 / 2013

See the what our celebrity guests had the say about the event.

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One Night Only Fashion Show Looks

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October 30 / 2013

Here are a few of the most memorable looks from our One Night Only event in New York City.

The grand scale fashion show featured pieces from past Privé collections up until today, have a look!

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Sounds from the Giorgio Armani One Night Only Fashion Show in NYC

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October 29 / 2013

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Giorgio Armani eyewear in NYC

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October 29 / 2013

The Giorgio Armani vision of New York City - through the new Giorgio Armani eyewear collection.

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Armani and the Movies by Tim Blanks

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October 29 / 2013

The movies are where Giorgio Armani and America have always enjoyed a particularly fruitful relationship. It was, after all, American Gigolo that was largely responsible for introducing the Armani aesthetic to a much wider world. “I think of that film together with my first show, the cover of TIME, the first trip to the US, “the designer reflects. “It was where it all started. And it was a lucky coincidence. Richard Gere perfectly embodied the new man I had in mind for my creations. From then on, I understood the real power of cinema to penetrate the fantasy of the public.”

Gigolo’s impact on the way men dressed was one of those rare crossover moments where film infects fashion. It was nothing Armani himself could anticipate. “But I was adamant that, as a designer, I had something important to say on masculinity, and that the movie could help me affirm that.” Unsurprisingly, Gigolo remains his favourite of the nearly 200 movies he has worked on.

He insists he has never actively sought out film work. The movies have always found him. Saying ‘yes’ is clearly a no-brainer when it’s old collaborators like Scorsese and DiCaprio knocking on the door, but Armani’s other recent ‘yesses’ have been more intriguing. “I was immediately captivated by the sci-fi dystopia of Elysium,” he says. “Plus I have worked so many times with Jodie Foster, on and off the screen, we could almost do it blindfolded. And, as a long-time admirer of Ridley Scott, not to mention Michael Fassbender, The Counselor felt like a good and natural choice.”

After he’s agreed to a project, Armani is confident enough in his choice that he doesn’t always feel compelled to read the script. He does, however, like to keep a decent distance once production starts. “I value the professional aspect of these collaborations, more than the glitz and the glamour,” he says. And he considers his own experience - designing collections, producing shows - gives him an instinctive insight into a movie’s production process. “With the only difference that the whole story is told in clothes.”

Armani claims that working in film challenges him to move out of his comfort zone, “to imagine scenarios that can be very different and very far from my own aesthetic, maybe distant in time,” but even with Elysium, set in the year 2154, Jodie Foster is recognisably Armani-clad. Period costumes, whether past or future, aren’t really his thing, although one of his greatest celluloid successes to date remains The Untouchables, set in the 1930s. “In this case, the point is completely different,” Armani explains. “The Untouchables was set in the 1930s, a moment that inspires me so much. I could not really say no.”

Asked about his own favourite costume designers, Armani name-checks Gabriella Pescucci and Milena Canonero. They are costumers in a classically versatile vein: Pescucci’s gamut runs from The Borgias to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Canonero has dressed every kind of character, from Marie Antoinette to Alex the droog in A Clockwork Orange. Which begs this question: if Armani could dress any character, from any time and anywhere, who would he choose? I propose Hamlet. “What about Armani does Ulysses?” the designer counters. “He is the original explorer and hero, the man whose drive in life is knowledge, whose values are still relevant.”

Ulysses in modern dress? A modern-day Odyssey? There’s definitely an idea there. Makes me wonder whether Armani has ever considered jumping the fence and taking on a whole movie himself. “It might be my next instalment,” he muses. “I’d like that.”

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Nude: a Giorgio Armani capsule collection

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October 29 / 2013

We are pleased to announce the launch of a special capsule collection designed by Giorgio Armani, made exclusively for the American public.

It will be available starting from mid-October at select stores in New York City: the Giorgio Armani boutique on Madison Avenue, the Armani/Fifth Avenue concept store and the Bergdorf Goodman department store. The collection sums up a sensual spirit and sophisticated elegance, an acclaimed proof of Giorgio Armani couture, interpreting high prêt-à-porter designed for day and eveningwear into a wardrobe. The garments - small contoured jackets with covered buttons, a coat with cowl neck, tapered pants, cocktail dresses and evening gowns - are made exclusively in neutral hues, using fabrics such as silk cadi, cashmere, jersey and soft napa leather. The collection, with its special label, is complemented by a selection of accessories from the Giorgio Armani line that are especially made in unprecedented nude versions.

"This special project is my tribute to New York, a city that has a unique energy that never fails to inspire and stimulate me. I wanted to condense my "Nude" Privè collection into a wardrobe. To me its sensual purity seems perfect for the style of women in New York - they're always so sophisticated, feminine and seductive."

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Armani and the American Male by Glenn O`Brien

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October 26 / 2013

Glenn O'Brien is a New York-based writer and recovering editor.

One Night Only’s celebration of the world of Armani is a reminder of the designer’s range, but it never hurts to be reminded of his revolution. Glenn O’Brien is New York’s master of the male perspective. Here, he casts his discerning eye over nearly four decades of fashion history

I remember menswear before Giorgio Armani. If you don’t then you may not understand the modern history of men’s style. The years B.G. (Before Giorgio) were a rather conformist time. It wasn’t just that most men dealt with a suit and tie dress code, but that the suit itself was in a rut. It had become codified.

There were some variations, but not much. The Americans had their “natural shoulder” sack suits and the British had their traditional Savile Row style, but unless you were an advanced student of sartorial matters or counted vents it wasn’t easy to tell a suit from a suit. There had been moments of seeming revolution, but it didn’t take long to realize that the Nehru suit or the leisure suit were not changing the world. The idea of a man’s suit was to make him look like an ideal of everyman, and it didn’t work for everybody. Often it merely pointed out the wearer’s flaws.

In the 1970s young Giorgio Armani had the vision to notice that padding and heavy construction did little to flatter men, especially in a time of increasing athleticism. He began bringing to tailored clothing what men liked about athletic wear—comfort, ease of movement and natural fit. Suddenly there was a modern alternative to the conformist suit. By eliminating artificial structure Giorgio Armani revealed the natural grace of the figure.

Happily coinciding with a European philosophical and literary movement it picked up the name deconstruction, but it was really unconstruction. Instead of rigid structure there was a physique-flattering naturalistic drape. The Armani suit was the first cool suit of the late 20th Century and it caught on like wildfire, in part due to the visibility of Armani’s signature style in Paul Schrader’s American Gigolo starring Richard Gere. Here was a sexy man—physically fit, relaxed, casual, but careful about his looks. Suddenly the man wasn’t a suit; the suit revealed the man. And he was sexy.

This wasn’t the first time that Italian style had penetrated the American scene. In the late 1950s the “continental” style, imported from Italy, captured the imagination of youth who didn’t fancy the style of their dads. They dug the slimmer jackets, narrow lapels and tighter flat front trousers and sleeker shoes. Everyone who was cool wanted to look like Marcello Mastroianni, but in American hands the look quickly devolved into a sort of doo-wop style featuring greasy hair and iridescent sharkskin.

Armani’s revolution was different. It was based on subtlety and cool. The idea wasn’t to be seen from across the street but to simply look relaxed, comfortable and confident. His solutions were simply, but hardly obvious. He opened up the color palette, bringing in earth tones as well black that came across as far from funereal, but simply chic. The understated palette, straightforward lines and the lack of ornament of his clothing was radical in its confident reserve. Yet Armani was a true a modernist.

He introduced textures never before seen in suits. Whereas most designers rounded up bolts of fabric from the usual suspects, Armani brought the same sort of willingness to experiment to menswear that prevailed in women’s fashion. And it was the right time, because there were now fabrics that offered a superior drape and performance to the traditional options. He was a true modernist, bringing to a traditionalist métier an openness to the advances of technology.

Almost singlehandedly Giorgio Armani converted American men to the concept of designer clothing. Other designers had enjoyed followings among sophisticated and affluent men, but Armani’s designs went so far in giving men a genuine alternative to the mainstream, and one that made them feel both attractive and comfortable, that he can be credited with creating the designer category almost singlehandedly. In fact you could argue that Armani brought fashion to men for the first time. His sense of drape and his willingness to change and experiment were common in women’s fashion, but he managed to introduce those qualities to men without making them seem feminine. He seemed to be saying that to keep up, men need to change too.

It wasn’t that he simply introduced a sea change in silhouette; he actually dared to evolve, visibly, from season to season. Suddenly it was not unmasculine to adapt to changes in style. It was acceptable to appreciate luxury. His approach suited the sensibility of a new generation of entrepreneurs who believed in progress and change, who thought no more of buying a new group of suits than buying a new BMW when the car’s design changed.

The personality of Giorgio Armani and the arc of his career can be seen as symbolic of the rise of the new American male. He is masculine without macho. He is evolutionary, expressing the zeitgeist creatively through his designs but without elaborate commentary or theory. He is innovative and prescient but without gimmickry. He has a quiet knack for capturing the feeling of the times in his clothing. If he has made any statement in his legendary career, it may be that understatement is the strongest statement of all. In the A.G. (after Giorgio) era, man makes the clothes.

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Armani Diary – Arrivederci NY!

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October 25 / 2013

This trip has been intense, both personally and professionally. My team has done a great job and i am thankful to everyone who made this possible, from the devoted seamstresses to my closest collaborators. New York is so intertwined with my whole story, that it's hard not to recall the episodes that led me here, to the Giorgio Armani I am now, whenever I am in town. America is where the global Armani success truly started. It's a place where people on the street stop me for a casual chat, like I was one of their peers; a place where customers respond in a warm and enthusiastic way to what i do. And now, I also have an Armani day. I am leaving NYC in a joyous mood, with the firm will to come back soon. Arrivederci, Manhattan!

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A Retrospective on the Giorgio Armani Privé Collections

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October 25 / 2013

A look at the development of the Giorgio Armani Privé collections shown during Paris haute couture week. This innovative couture venture was first launched in January of 2005 and with two 'on calendar' shows each year the latest 'Nude' collection was the 19th in succession. Starting with the very first show - in the gallery above you can see one featured look per collection up culminating with the One Night Only NYC event on the 24th at the SuperPier in NYC.

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One Night Only New York Beauty Look

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October 25 / 2013

Armani beauty makeup expert Linda Cantello interprets the One Night Only New York look transforming it into makeup.The fashion show extravaganzapreviewed shades from the upcoming Spring collection "Effetto Nudo" (on counters in January 2014).

To achieve the makeup look, follow these easy step-by-step instructions:

Armani on Display

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October 25 / 2013

To honour Giorgio Armani's visit and One Night Only event, the Giorgio Armani stores as well as some of New York's finest department stores chose to feature customized display windows decked out in all things Armani. Not only do these let us see the diversity of the Armani brand but also give us a close look at the special Nude 'limited edition' capsule collection created specifically for the event. In the gallery above, two images of each store are featured in the following running order:

Click here for the up to the minute social coverage. #ONENIGHTONLYNYC - Social Stream

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Giorgio Armani on Eccentricity by Tim Blanks

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October 25 / 2013

Eccentrico, the exhibition that accompanies Giorgio Armani’s ‘One Night Only” in New York is a celebration of eccentricity through Armani haute couture.

On the surface, the images summoned up by ‘Armani’ and ‘eccentric’ may not instantly strike you as compatible. I remember I nearly fell off my chair the first time Armani told me how much he admired Jean Cocteau. The almost-wistful note in his voice made me wonder if he wished he could have been more like Cocteau.

But never forget there was a moment when Armani himself was labeled “radical” and “defiant”, and even if the passage of time has a habit of rubbing the edges off revolutionaries - especially when they evolve into an institution as ingrained in modern culture as Armani is - there will always be those fortunate few who are liberated by ageing to be more the person they always imagined themselves being.

Armani the Eccentric? Well, for years it’s been possible to track an ever-richer seam of eccentricity in his work. And, for almost as long, I’ve been keen to find out why.

Giorgio Armani on Eccentricity

Do you think people misunderstand the idea of eccentricity?

Yes. They think that eccentricity consists of a strange hat or a pair of colorful socks. I believe that eccentricity is above all a unique way of seeing things, as personal, outside the box and not very classifiable.

How do you define it? Sartorially? Creatively? Philosophically?

As a designer I obviously focus on clothing from a sartorial point of view. For me, eccentricity is a thought that gives new meaning to "normal", a way of presenting oneself and wearing clothing. It is for this that it is not antithetical to linearity. I would define it as a mixture of precision, opulence and spontaneity. Its true essence is lightness.

Were you exposed to any things or people (a relative, perhaps) that you felt were eccentric when you were younger? I have vague memories in this regard. There is always someone a little weird in Italian families, maybe just for their personality or surprising life choices.

How did that influence you?

It made me realize that it is healthy to express your personality; not always doing what others expect can lead to success.

What is the most eccentric thing about you?

That I wear a sort of uniform that remains unchanged, even though I design thousands of garments. Maybe it's just a natural reaction.

And how do you feel your exhibition expresses the idea? (There are, for example, some very surreal items in the show)

The exhibition expresses an eccentricity that is very Armani: decided yet hushed. I just wanted to show that there is much more to the Armani style than sobriety, and that it's always been that way. I think the taste for eccentricity became parallel with that for the rigor in my work; at first I was focused on the line and the profound change that I was facing in offering women the unusual elegance and formality found in the full pantsuit. In hindsight, that was a powerful eccentricity as well.

What are the pieces in the show that are closest to your heart?

It's hard to choose. I am particularly attached to certain things that I did in the beginning, like the men's soft, fully embroidered suit. It represents my idea of ​​an eccentricity well: it's a little theatrical and infinitely exquisite.

In the past, we’ve talked about your admiration for Jean Cocteau and Elsa Schiaparelli. What was it about them that appealed to you?

Intellectual open-mindedness and absolute integrity. The passion with which they have always been dedicated to their respective arts. A passion for that which is beautiful.

What other eccentrics do you admire?

Paul Poiret, Jean-Michel Frank and Coco Chanel. I love eccentricity that is exquisite - even opulent - but not ostentatious.

Does your appreciation of eccentricity extend into areas beyond style – like literature or art or movies or architecture?

Of course. In particular I can think of the work of an architect like Eileen Grey or the aforementioned Jean-Michel Frank. But even Roberto Rossellini proved to be eccentric when he filmed Rome, Open City, opposing gritty realism to the idea of ​​cinema as pure entertainment.

Do you think Italy has a great tradition of eccentricity? (Was d’Annunzio an eccentric?) In Italy there weren't any notable eccentric figures, or there were those that there were so eccentric that they were totally low profile. D'Annunzio was rather excessive and forced. Anna Piaggi was truly eccentric.

Is there any nation that seems particularly pre-disposed to eccentricity? Why?

England, undoubtedly. Perhaps it's because it is a country of apparent conformity, which stimulates people to break out of their shell.

I know how you feel about being stereotyped, do you feel your admiration for eccentricity is a way to resist stereotyping? To be non-conformist?

Thinking this way would make me stereotypical, because forced anticonformism is as cliché as much as conformism.

Or do you feel like it’s a kind of wish-fulfilment in a way? Maybe even a kind of freedom? Is eccentricity something you are born with, or can you become eccentric over the course of your life?

People are born eccentric but they become more and more so over the years. Or perhaps they find themselves to be eccentric by looking at themselves in a new light. For me it is a conquest of a new sense of freedom.

Who do you think embodies the idea of eccentricity today? You’ve worked with Lady Gaga, for instance.

Nowadays eccentricity is a widespread attitude, but sometimes it's just a form of putting on airs. I like it when we hear the natural spontaneity - that of people who are not afraid to be themselves. Lady Gaga is one of these people. She asked me to be flexible to the demands of her show and this led me in unusual and stimulating directions, at least for me. It wouldn't have been possible to come up with outfits that were so original and out of the ordinary with anyone else. So yes, she embodies an idea of ​​contemporary eccentricity.

And do you see any eccentricity in contemporary fashion? (Were Galliano and McQueen eccentrics?)​

I do see it, even if sometimes it is a bit forced. McQueen and Galliano certainly descended from a line of great British eccentrics.